Cattle-guard.



D. A. SIMS 6; W. M! BROWN.

CATTLE GUARD.

ARPLIOATION FILED JUNE 2a, 1908.

918,478; Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

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UNTTETE isTATES PATENT OFFIQE.

DAVID A. SIMS AND WALTER M. BROWN, OF FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS CATTLE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 13, 190

Application filed June 26, 1908. Serial No. 440,597.

To fl-LZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, DAVID A. SIMS and ilAL'rER M. BROWN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Fort Smith, in the county of Sebastianand State of Arkansas, have iii-- vented new and useful improvements inCattle-Guards, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in cattle guards, beingparticularly directed.

to a construction in which the foot of the animal will be received in adepending conduit, the parts being; formed to prevent the animal liftingits foot for a step in advance without interfering with the withdrawalof the foot for a backward step.

The main object of the present invention is the revision of a cattleguard including a 0011( nit to receive the foot of the animal having itsrear wall so projected as to provide an over-hang to one; e the heel ofthe animal in the bending of the knee incident to a step forward, andprevent the lifting of the foot, the opposing portion of the adjacentguard member terminating above the conduit in a sharpened edge to engagethe knee of the animal in the act of making the advance step. Theinvention, in the. preferred detai s of construction, will be describedin the following specification, reference being, had particularly to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view representing the application of our improvedcattle gsjuard.

2 's an edge view of the same.

Referring particularly to the drawings, our improved cattle guardcomprises a central guard member 1 am! end guard members 2 and 3. Theend members, of which there may be any desired number are of duplicate 7dis osed in relative reverse directions from an with relation to thecentral member 1 The central member comprises a metallic strippractically coextensive in length with the length of the tie l whichstrip is bent into approximately inverted V-shape having; the side edges5 arranged at an approximate right angle to each other. The terminaledges of the sides 5 of the member 1 are pro jected outwardly relativeto said member to provide flanges 6, which flanges are adapted to engagethe knee of the animal in the attempt to make a forward step, as willlater appear. The end members which are of identical construction, arealso formed with metallic strips coextensive in length with the lengthof the tie and formed into inverted \l-shape with the sides edges 7disposed at an approximate right angle to each other. One of said or gesterminates in a flange 8 corresponding to the flange 6 of the centralmember, while the op osing edge is projected below the plane of tieflange and then extended downwardly at a relatively inward incline toprovide a wall 9, then outwardly as at 10 into parallel relation withthe flange 8 but in an opposing direction relative thereto, the outeredge of the wall 10 being outwardly and upwardly projected to provide aforward wall 11. The walls 9, 10 and 11 constitute the foot-receivingconduit of the end members, and as will be noted in Fig. 2, this conduitis disposed wholly below the plane of the flange 8.

The respective members are applied to the ties 4, as shown, the tiesbeing arranged on edge so that the apex of each member constitutes theuppermost point of the same, providing an edge to receive the foot ofthe animal by which the animal is prevented from. traveling along theguard without directing the feet down one side or the other of themembers. The central member 1 is applied to the central tie of thesection to be protected, and the respective end members 2 and 3 aresecured in succession to the ties arranged in opposite directions beyondthe ties covered by the central member. The respective end members arealso arranged in opposition to each other, for example, the end members2 will have their conduits projected toward the central member, whilethe end members 3 will have their conduits also projected toward thecentral member, that is, toward the conduits of the members 2. In thisposition of the parts, each end memher of the series 2 and 3 immediatelyadjacent the central member will have its conduit directly underlyingthe flange 6 of the central member, while the conduit of each member ofeach series will have its conduit directly underlying the flange 8 ofthat member adjacent the particular end member in a direction toward thecentral member. \vith the members thus arranged, it is to be noted thatthe rear wall 9 of each conduit inclines from its upper end to its lowerend in a direction away from the adjacent edge flange, and that thisinclination causes the upper portions of the wall 9 to overhang thelower portion A pocket, hereinafter termed thereof.

heel pocket, is thus rovided, and it is by vented from making a step inadvance.

step, the heel of the foot will be caught in the heel pocket while theleg adjacent the knee will be brought into contact with the overlyingedge flange. It is therefore, practically impossible for the animal toelevate its foot y from the conduit for the advance step, and,

hence, the rearward move of the animal is imperative, it beingunderstood that there is nothing in the construction to prevent thedirect upward movement of the foot of the animal incident to suchrearward movement.

The respective members are preferably constructed of sheet metal ofappropriate thickness, and galvanized or otherwise treated to preventdeterioration. T he respective members may be secured to the ties in anydesired manner.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. A cattle guard including a guard member of inverted \J-shape, theterminal portion of one side of the member being bent outwardly toprovide a flange, the terminal portion of the other side of the memberbeing projected to form a conduit including a bot tom wall, a frontwall, and a rear wall, the rear wall being inclined downwardly and inwardly relative to the member.

2. A cattle guard including a guard member formed to provide a conduitto receive the foot of the animal, the rear wall of the conduitinclining throughout its length to arrange the lower edge thereofrearwardly beyond the upper edge with relation to the member to form aheel pocket.

3. A cattle'guard including a central guard member having oppositelyprojecting edge flanges, and end guard members arranged respectively onopposite sides of the central member, each of said end members beingformed to provide an edge flange and a conduit having its rear wallinclined rearwardly from top to bottom to form a heel pocket.

4. A cattle guard including a central guard member having oppositelyprojecting edge ilanges, and end guard members arranged respectively onopposite sides of the central member, each of said end members beingformed to provide an edge liar ge and a conduit having its rear wallinclined rearwardly from top to bottom to fom a heel pocket, the endmembers adjacent and on opposite sides of the central member beingarranged with their foot conduits beneath the flanges of the centralmember, each remaining end member being arranged with its conduitbeneath the flange of the end member adjacent thereto toward the centralmember.

In testimony whereof we ailix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

DAVID A. SIMS. lVALTER M. BRONN.

Yi itnesses Enwn. CARUrnnRs, JAMES PEARSON.

